Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

The first wave had been successfully overcome. There were no casualties, and the rewards were plentiful. Most of the civilians had overcome the Curse of Sloth and leveled up. The Pioneers who had actively participated in the battle grew rapidly, breaking through previously stagnant levels.

As much as they wanted to celebrate, it was too early for that.

"The next wave is coming soon."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Even the civilians who had just leveled up were aware of this fact, and as a result, they couldn't fully enjoy their newfound growth. Unlike the Pioneers who had consistently leveled up, these civilians had only just started. Even though they now had weapons and completed their first job advancements, their combat abilities hadn't changed significantly. They were still fragile, liable to die in an instant if they weren't careful.

Because of this, a few of them made bold requests.

"They're asking if they can sit out the defense battle now that they've become Pioneers, and if they could give their spots to other volunteers."

"Tell them to stop talking nonsense and prepare for the next defense battle. Add that if they're not seen, I'll personally kill them after the battle."

Zachary's voice came from behind, and Justin replied with irritation.

"This isn't the time to be joking around."

"They want to replace experienced fighters with people who've never been in battle before? That's ridiculous."

"They probably know that, which is why they're acting like this. After all, they don't want to die right after finally becoming Pioneers."

"That makes it even more infuriating. Becoming a Pioneer means risking your life, and they think they can just eat and run?"

It was clear what they were trying to do—stay out of the frontlines and settle into a comfortable second line. Justin shook his head in frustration.

"If they keep acting like that, they'll end up being secretly taken out by the first-line Pioneers. Tell them to watch themselves."

"Yes, I already turned down their request, but I'll make sure to pass along the warning."

"How much time do we have before the second wave starts?"

"Twenty minutes."

It was almost time. Justin looked around at the army preparing for battle on top of the walls.

"How's the morale?"

"It's good," Rachel answered with a smile.

"The Pioneers have leveled up, and Derek and Ethan are acting so confidently that everyone else feels more assured. Now that you've grown stronger too, the morale is even higher."

"The civilians are feeling the same way. Even if they don't know exactly what's going on, they're gaining confidence."

Zachary's response brought a smile to Justin's face.

It was a good thing. That was why it was all the more important for this next wave to end successfully. If they lost anyone today, the boosted morale would drop right back down. They needed to maintain high spirits for the most difficult third wave.

"If only they didn't have any means of breaching the gate, we'd have no trouble handling this..."

Justin muttered to himself, staring at the forest where the enemies would emerge.

Dust swirled in the air, and branches swayed violently.

It's starting.

"Ding! The second Green-Skin Wave will begin soon."

"Ding! Some monsters will now be able to breach the safe zone."

"Ding! The wave will continue until either the monster army is wiped out or a set number of humans are killed."

The same message rang in Justin's ears as before. In the distance, a loud thud echoed.

Just as Justin had a sinking feeling, he saw something huge emerge from the forest with a low growl.

A hulking figure, easily over 2.5 meters tall, appeared. It resembled a goblin but with a far more grotesque face, leathery skin like scales, and long, ape-like arms.

"...Bringing out a troll in just the second wave seems a bit much, don't you think?"

Justin grumbled, though he had expected it. It had shown up faster than he'd anticipated.

But the troll wasn't the only addition. On either side of the troll, orc shamans appeared, shouting loudly.

"Charge! Go! Go!"

"Kraaaah!"

With the orc shamans' commands, the Green-Skin horde surged forth. This time, there were no weak goblins among them. The hobgoblins, which the newly minted Pioneers wouldn't stand a chance against, swarmed forward. Alongside them were twenty orcs, far more than the day before.

There were still 200 monsters in total, but the quality was vastly different.

"Damn, this isn't just double the strength."

One of the Pioneers cursed under his breath as he looked at the approaching army.

And he was right. Not only were the shamans adding magic into the mix, but the overall strength of the army had increased drastically, and the leader was even stronger than before. By pure strength alone, today's army was at least three times stronger than yesterday's.

Justin observed the overwhelming army of Green-Skins, and muttered to himself, "Looks like today's going to be fun, huh?"

On either side of him, Derek and Ethan grinned in agreement.

The siege tactics remained the same—ladders. But strangely, there weren't as many ladders as there had been the day before.

The numbers are the same, so why are there fewer ladders?

Before Justin could figure out the answer, one of the orc shamans moved. The shaman raised its hands above its head and chanted.

"Fireball!"

Whoosh!

With the incantation, a massive fireball materialized above the shaman's head. The shaman lowered its hand, launching the fireball toward the walls.

As the fireball approached, the Pioneers scattered in panic.

"Crap! Run!"

"Rachel! Shield!"

As the shouts echoed from the wall, Justin called out to Rachel. Fortunately, Rachel had already moved before he even gave the command.

Boom!

The magic shield absorbed the massive fireball, dispersing its energy in all directions. Both the Pioneers and the orc shamans stared in shock at the sight. However, Rachel wasn't enjoying the attention—instead, she frowned.

"This shaman's magic is stronger than the one we fought in the dungeon! I can't hold out for long!"

"How many more times can you block that? Take a guess, it doesn't have to be exact."

"At this strength? I can block two more."

"Fireball!"

In the middle of their conversation, another fireball shot toward them. Once again, Rachel's magic shield held up under the attack.

Two left, Justin thought. That should be enough.

"Light Bridge!"

"What the...?"

After the two fireballs, the previously silent shaman chanted another spell. This time, a bridge of light extended all the way up to the top of the wall. Justin blinked in surprise.

"Light Bridge? Isn't that a grimoire-exclusive spell?"

It was a spell that couldn't be learned simply by leveling up. It was used in siege battles and river crossings to create a bridge of light, just as the name suggested. In the later stages of the game, it was an extremely useful spell, and Justin had always searched for grimoires that contained it.

But now the system had just given it to a lowly orc shaman?

"The system is really pulling out all the stops for them."

"Justin! Look at that!"

Next to him, Nathan pointed toward the other end of the light bridge. Turning his head, Justin saw twenty orcs clambering up the bridge. At the same time, the hobgoblins, who had been waiting, began placing ladders between the gaps in the walls.

"...I see. So that's why there are fewer ladders."

The strongest ones were being sent up the light bridge, while the rest were using the ladders.

Since it was easier to ascend the Light Bridge, and it was much wider, the primary forces would naturally focus on securing the bridge. Meanwhile, the hobgoblins would infiltrate from the sides of the wall to attack the main force. That was the strategy.

"Well, they used their heads."

"I don't think this is the time for admiration! The orcs are climbing up fast!"

"Sure, the civilians are handling the ladders, but if just one spot breaks through...!"

Hearing the concerned voices around him, Justin chuckled slightly. He turned to look at Derek, who had been quiet until now.

"Derek, think you can hold them off?"

"Leave it to me."

Derek stretched his body and stepped onto the Light Bridge. As he slowly descended toward the orcs charging up the bridge, the creatures roared and charged at him with reckless fury.

"Kwargh!"

"Derek!"

"Ugh!"

As soon as Derek met the orcs halfway across the bridge, cries rang out from all around. Two enraged orcs swung their swords at him viciously.

Boom!

"...!?"

With the sound of thunder, the two orcs were blown off the bridge. One of them had its chest crushed, while the other had lost its head entirely. The remaining orcs froze in place, unsure of what had just happened. Derek grinned.

"What's wrong? Not coming?"

"...!"

"Kraaah!"

Angered by the taunt, the orcs snarled and charged again. And once again, thunder roared.

Crack! Boom!

The Pioneers watched in awe as one orc after another was sent flying off the bridge with each crash of thunder. By now, eight orcs had fallen, each one dying as Derek stood firm on the bridge. He hadn't taken a single step back.

Seeing Derek hold the bridge like a hero from legend, Rachel muttered in disbelief, "Was Derek always this strong?"

"He's gotten stronger. He's completed his second advancement."

Derek had chosen the Berserker class, a specialization in continuous combat. His once temporary buff skill, Rage, had evolved into Endless Rage, allowing him to remain in an enhanced state indefinitely. He might not have any flashy finishing moves, but in terms of raw physical power, he was now the strongest warrior.

Just as the tenth orc was hurled from the bridge, something unexpected happened.

"Kuh-wak!"

Thwack!

"Dammit...!"

One of the orcs that had been hiding in the back quickly thrust a rusty blade at Derek. He didn't dodge in time, and a long but shallow cut appeared on his arm.

"That hurt, you bastard!"

Boom!

"Gah!"

The orc died silently from Derek's next attack, as if it had done all it could. One of the Pioneers noticed the blood dripping from Derek's arm and shouted, "Healing! We need healing, now!"

Enjoy new adventures from empire

"There's no need."

"What?"

"Just look."

Justin pointed at Derek's wound, and everyone's eyes turned toward it. The long gash was already closing, wriggling as it healed on its own.

"That's Berserker's Regeneration skill. It gives him a constant low-level healing effect."

"...!"

"Unless his bones get broken, he'll be fine. Don't worry about it."

The Pioneers were stunned. Was this how powerful someone became after completing their second advancement? Were they really witnessing something so monstrous?

Everyone's gaze shifted to Ethan. He chuckled at the expectant looks.

"If you're expecting something like that from me, you'll be disappointed. I specialize in healing and defense."

"But you have attack skills, right?"

"That's more like a secret weapon. I can only use it once a day."

Ethan shrugged, as if apologizing for not meeting their expectations. "But my healing abilities have improved a lot. I'm not ashamed of that."

Thunk!

"The ladder! There's a ladder on this side...!"

"Bash."

Thud!

Before the panicked civilian could finish, Ethan casually swung his shield. The ladder was smashed before it even touched the wall, sent flying into the distance with a loud crash. Everyone blinked at the sight, as if they had just seen a cannon made of air hit the ladder.

"What was that?"

"I used a shield skill that reflects attacks. It's not very powerful, but it has a knockback effect, which makes it perfect for blocking or stopping charges."

"How many times can you use it in a day?"

"As long as I wait for the cooldown, I can use it indefinitely."

"...."

That's incredibly useful, they all thought. It might seem like just a shield push, but if Ethan could create that kind of impact endlessly, it changed everything. With the right timing, he could even deflect high-level magic.

Finally, everyone's eyes turned to Justin.

Surely the Lord, who's gotten even stronger, must have something amazing, right? their gazes seemed to say.

Justin smiled wryly and raised his staff.

"I guess I can't not show something now, huh?"

Despite his words, Justin didn't mind. In fact, he had been looking forward to testing out the new power he had received. He extended his hand toward the group of hobgoblins lurking, waiting for an opening, and muttered.

"Eldritch Flame."

Fwoosh!

With a short incantation, a storm of blue flames erupted across the battlefield.